Abstract:  Objective To explore the application effect of scenario-based health education based on virtual reality technology in patients undergoing cataract day surgery. Design A non-synchronous controlled trial. Participants 100 patients undergoing cataract day surgery at Beijing Tongren Hospital. Method Patients admitted from July to October 2024 were assigned to the control group (50 cases), and patients admitted from November 2024 to February 2025 were assigned to the intervention group (50 cases). The control group received routine preoperative health education, while the intervention group received scenario-based health education based on virtual reality technology of phacoemulsification cataract surgery in addition to the routine education. Main Outcome Measures Self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) scores, perioperative health knowledge cognition scores, and intraoperative cooperation scores before and after health education. Results After the implementation of health education, the intervention group had an SAS score of 35.38±5.82, significantly lower than the control group score of 41.34±4.64 (P<0.001). After the implementation of health education, the intervention group had a health knowledge cognition score of 90.42±5.37, significantly higher than the control group score of 72.64±9.72 (P<0.001). The proportion of scores with good surgical cooperation in the intervention group after the implementation of health education (86% ) was significantly higher than that of the control group (52%) (P<0.001). Conclusion Scenario-based health education based on virtual reality technology of phacoemulsification cataract surgery can reduce patients' preoperative anxiety, improve perioperative health knowledge cognition in cataract day surgery patients, and enhance surgical cooperation.

Key words:  Cataract, Day surgery, Virtual reality technology, Health education